Essay: Healthy Eating Requirements for Athletes

Athletes and sportsmen need to have balanced and proper eating habits since they undergo enormous physical activity and consequently, their bodies need to catch up on the lost energy with the help of healthy and nutritious eating habits.

It is very important for athletes to maintain proper a proper diet schedule. They should eat well before executing their exercise so that their body is well stocked with the required energy. This can be achieved by taking food that provides instant energy like the juice of fresh fruits or eating fruits like banana etc. the benefit of fruit intake is that it breaks down quickly and digests faster and also provides glucose to the body. It is desirable to eat such high in glucose food 3 to 4 hours before exercise so that it is well digested by the time an athlete starts to exercise. Enough water consumption should also be ensured before executing an exercise regime so that the body is well hydrated and doesn’t exhaust quickly.

During the exercise, rapid loss of calories, energy, and fluids (in the form of perspiration) is lost from the body. Hence athletes should drink plenty of water during the exercise. Some athletes have a habit of consuming energy drinks during workouts as it provides an instant boost of energy but it is more desirable to drink fresh fruit juices instead of these energy drinks as they are far more beneficial and contain no artificial products.

Once the workout is done with, it is suggested for athletes to have an intake of foods high in carbohydrate content as it helps restore the lost glycogen in the body.

Every human being needs to have a balanced and nutritious diet and in the case of athletes, this becomes all the more essential since their extensive workouts and intense exercises exhaust the body to a large extent. Adequate water intake and food rich in calcium, proteins, carbohydrates, and fibers are what every athlete needs.